We will be positive at Agra: Jaswant

By C. Raja Mohan

NEW DELHI, JULY 12. Despite its disappointment over the decision by the Pakistani President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, to meet Kashmiri dissidents during his visit, India today signalled a constructive approach to the talks this weekend in Agra.

Summing up the Indian position three days before Gen. Musharraf arrives here, the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, sought to blow away the gathering cloud of gloom over the Agra summit in the last few days.

India was not going to let the acrimony of the last few days over the proposed meeting between Gen. Musharraf and the Hurriyat leaders derail its initiative to renew the engagement with Pakistan. ``I am not at all pessimistic,'' Mr. Singh insisted at a crowded press conference this afternoon. He declared that the Government ``will approach the Agra summit with optimism and a positive spirit''.

At the same time Mr. Singh outlined a tough negotiating position on Jammu and Kashmir insisting that it was an integral part of India, rejecting ideas for self-determination for Kashmiris and third party mediation.

Ready for better ties

The message from India today was one of realism. The Government was ready to move towards a different relationship with Pakistan; but it was not going to give away the store on Kashmir.

To a direct question whether India was prepared to trust Gen. Musharraf, given his well-known role in engineering the Kargil confrontation two years ago, Mr. Singh refused to answer either ``yes'' or ``no''.

Expressing reluctance to pass judgment on Gen. Musharraf, the Minister said the Kargil experience was indeed part of India's history. But he proclaimed India's readiness to get over the bitterness of the past and make one more bid for ``lasting peace and amity with Pakistan''.

Questioned on Gen. Musharraf's attempt to make Kashmir the principal focus of the Agra summit, Mr. Singh said India had never ``shied away'' from discussing the subject and was prepared for a substantive discussion at Agra.

But Mr. Singh insisted that there were other issues in India- Pakistan relations as important as Kashmir which would figure in the Agra talks. The two countries, Mr. Singh said, ``will hopefully address the totality of the relationship''.

India's core concern

Mr. Singh, who currently holds the portfolios of External Affairs and Defence in the Cabinet, said India had a ``core concern'' of its own to be taken up with Gen. Musharraf - cross-border terrorism. The Government would address the issue ``unambiguously'' at Agra.

Asked about possible changes in the negotiating framework on Pakistan, Mr. Singh answered in the negative. ``India will continue to abide by the framework of the Composite Dialogue that was agreed to by the two countries nearly four years ago.''

The Minister rejected the argument that India was negotiating with Pakistan either under pressure from the United States or weakened by the decade-long insurgency in the State.

He dismissed Pakistan's criticism that India's recent goodwill gestures to promote people-to-people contacts were ``peripheral'' to the central question of Jammu and Kashmir. ``I cannot subscribe to the view that people can ever be peripheral'' in the relations between India and Pakistan, he said.

Elaborating on a broad range of issues in the bilateral relations, Mr. Singh said India was ``disappointed'' with Gen. Musharraf's decision to meet the Hurriyat leaders in New Delhi on Saturday at the reception to be hosted by the Pakistan High Commissioner.

Mr. Singh defended the decision by the ruling National Democratic Alliance to boycott the reception in honour of Gen. Musharraf. Representatives of the Government would be present on the occasion as part of the decision to ``observe due protocol''.

CCS meets

UNI reports:

The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today held another informal meeting of the CCS to firm up the agenda for talks with Gen. Musharraf. The meeting, attended by the Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani, and Mr. Singh and senior officials, discussed issues that are likely to be taken up during the summit.

'Kashmir, main cause of tension'

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